WRAPUP 3-Olympics-Phelps breaks world record to take first gold
* Phelps swims to first victory in Water Cube
* More violence in restive Xinjiang
* Georgian team to stay despite South Ossetia crisis
* Chinese diving queen takes to the springboard
* Women cyclists face the heat of the road
BEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Michael Phelps smashed the world record to take his first gold on Sunday in the quest for an unprecedented eight wins in the pool, but violence again spoiled the Beijing Olympics party with blasts in the restive west.
American swimmer Phelps won the 400 metres individual medley final in Beijing's futuristic Water Cube with a time of 4.03.84, knocking more than a second of his own previous world record.
Watched by George Bush Senior and Junior and cheered by flag-waving compatriots, Phelps raised his hands aloft after comfortably winning what he calls the weakest of his events.
Even if the lanky 23-year-old wins only half his eight race competitions, he will hold more Olympic gold medals than any other athlete.
Phelps won six golds in Athens in 2004 and has Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven wins at a single Games in his sights.
The Olympics' second day were marred by pre-dawn explosions and shooting in a city in Xinjiang, more than 3,000 km (1,860 miles) west of Beijing. Suspected Muslim militants killed 16 policemen in the region a week ago.
"Casualties of the incident may still rise," state news agency Xinhua said, without elaborating on who was behind it.
China says it has foiled plots to sabotage the Olympics by separatists in Xinjiang. Critics have accused Beijing of exaggerating the threat to justify repression of dissidents.
Chinese authorities hope the Phelps phenomenon and its own early leadership of the medals' table will finally put the spotlight on sports after a Games build-up dominated by accusations of rights abuses and concerns over pollution.
On the Olympics' first day, though, a Chinese man stabbed to death the father-in-law of the U.S. men's volleyball coach at a Beijing tourist spot. That and Sunday's second flare-up in Xinjiang cast a pall over Games that China hoped would be a showcase for its modern face and economic might.
GEORGIA STAYS DESPITE CRISIS
Beyond China too, distant crises spoiled the Games' intended spirit of international harmony.
Georgia's team offered to withdraw over the conflict with Russia in South Ossetia. But President Mikheil Saakashvili sent a message overnight instructing them to stay.
"The whole team has had hardly any sleep," team spokesman Giorgi Tchanishvili told Reuters, saying Georgia's First Lady informed the athletes at 2 a.m.
"We were ready to leave the Olympic Games and we were waiting until very late for this decision," he said. "(She) told us we should stay in the best interest of the country."
After coming second in Athens, China aspires to outstrip the United States in the medal table for the first time.
With another 13 golds up for grabs on Sunday, the hosts were well-placed to add to their first-day tally of two, with favourites in shooting, fencing, judo and diving.
Chinese diving queen Guo Jingjing, the supermodel of the springboard, steps up to defend her 3-metre synchronised title.
If Guo, China's best-known female athlete, retains the synchronised and individual titles she will hold more golds than any female diver. China dominates world diving and has a reasonable chance of winning all eight golds in the discipline.
Chinese fans are also focused on Sunday's basketball blockbuster between the host nation, led by 7ft 6in NBA player Yao Ming, against a star-studded U.S. team still smarting from its bronze in Athens 2004.
It could be the most-viewed sporting contest ever in China.
Women cyclists face a tough but shorter road race on the same route between Beijing's Forbidden City and the Great Wall that the men had on Saturday. A third of the men withdrew from their race, blaming suffocating heat, humidity and pollution.
The agonies endured by the men's cyclists bode ill for other endurance athletes, such as marathon runners.
At least there was light rain in Beijing on Sunday morning, cooling temperatures and raising hopes of clearer air. (Reporting by Beijing Olympic bureau) (Writing also by Sean Maguire; Editing by Nick Macfie)
